UC San Diego softball (12-18, 2-7 Big West) faltered against Cal Baptist (24-12, 2-1 WAC), losing 9-1 in five innings on March 10 at Triton Softball Field.
The Tritons entered the match on a 12-game losing streak. UCSD previously fell 12-5 against CBU on Feb. 19 during the Mary Nutter Classic, and the Tritons hoped to redeem themselves ahead of an upcoming stretch of conference matchups.
CBU heated up early; Lancer third baseman Ashlee Annett hit a first-inning triple to drive in two runs. The Tritons attempted to retaliate in the bottom of the first, with senior center fielder Haley Garcia earning a walk and advancing to second on a passed ball. After another walk by sophomore designated hitter Maalia Cherry and a fielding error by the Lancers, the bases were loaded for a possible redemption effort. However, the Tritons popped out to end the inning, and the Lancers maintained their 2-0 advantage.
Despite their early struggles, the Tritons were able to slow the Lancers’ offensive engine. Sophomore pitcher Lauren Rozell’s expert pitches led to easy groundouts for the Tritons, stopping the Lancers’ first-inning momentum.
Entering the bottom of the second, the Tritons continued their attempts to overcome the Lancers’ lead. After an early out, junior third baseman Jackie Tremper launched a solo home run that tore over the left-field fence as the crowd roared.
“My intent was just to not to do too much, just try and hit the ball hard somewhere,” Tremper said in a postgame interview with The UCSD Guardian. “I got my pitch, and I drove it out.”
With the momentum of the home run, the Tritons strung together several singles, with sophomore right fielder Ryanna Alano and Garcia reaching base. After a walk, the Tritons loaded the bases again for a chance to take the lead. However, their efforts were to no avail, and UCSD ended the second down 2-1. Tremper’s home run would be the only Triton run of the night.
The Lancers pushed forward in the third inning as an RBI single helped them gain two more runs. Despite a double by freshman catcher Dylan Kunkle, the Tritons couldn’t keep up with the Lancers’ growing lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Lancers broke through the Tritons’ defense, stringing multiple singles to score five runs and cement a 9-1 lead. The Tritons tried to draw back into the game, but the damage was done, and the game ended in only five innings on home turf due to the NCAA’s mercy rule.
Despite the defeat, Tremper was positive about the rest of the season.
“We’ve proven that we are really good,” Tremper said. “We can do so much damage. And I know we’re not succeeding right now … [but] I want them to all know that we can do this.”
The Tritons will return to play a three-game series at home against Long Beach State on March 27 and March 28.
